Researchers from Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology have deleoped an augmented reality treatment for phantom limb pain

The patient playing a racing game in which he drives the car by phantom motions

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Article Summary

Studies have shown that a large percentage of amputees feel pain in their missing limbs. This condition, known as phantom limb pain (PLP), is caused by the part of brain responsible for a limb's movement becoming idle once that limb is lost. The ailment has so far proven difficult to treat, but a new study suggests therapy involving augmented reality and gaming could stimulate these unused areas of the brain, resulting in a significant reduction in discomfort.